Dartmoor Discovery
The Dartmoor Discovery is an ultramarathon run around Dartmoor in early June (recently the first Saturday in June). The race is entirely on roads. It starts and finishes in Princetown, famous as the home of Dartmoor Prison. The current distance is 52.115 km (32 miles 674 yards). Entrants are required to have completed a Marathon on an 'average' course in less than 5 hours (or something equivalent). The 2018 race was the 20th running of the race. There is a limit of 260 entries for the race.
The main features of the race are the delightful countryside of Dartmoor and the associated hills. The total rise of the hills is about 1200 metres (nearly 4000 ft). Because of the hills, times are typically about 50% longer than those of a flat Marathon, even though the course is only 10 km longer than a Marathon.
There are 10 refreshment stations at which water is provided. Facilities are made available for the runners to take their own food and/or drinks from the start to these stations.
History
The race was first run in 1998 on a slightly longer course (54.918 km, 34 miles 219 yards) which involved the final section from Two Bridges to Princetown going past Dartmoor Prison instead of on the direct route. The same course was used in 1999 and 2000. It was also used in 2018 to celebrate the twentieth running of the event.
The race was cancelled in 2001 because of the Foot and Mouth outbreak and 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2002, the race has been run on the current, slightly shorter route (the only exception being in 2018 as noted above).
Course
The race begins in the centre of Princetown (Ordnance Survey mapping six-figure grid reference SX591735 at an altitude of 420 metres) and goes along the B3212 to Two Bridges (SX608750 340m). The race then turns east along the B3357. This section is relatively flat until the road drops down into Dartmeet (SX672732 225m) at about 9.5km.
The road now rises steeply onto YarTor Down (355m) before falling again, passing Poundsgate, until it reaches New Bridge (SX712708 100m). The road then rises again (155m) before falling to Holne Bridge (SX730706 60m). The road is now relatively flat and passing Peartree Cross reaches Ashburton (SX756699 70m) at about 21km. This is the lowest part of the course after a drop of 350 m from the start despite some steep climbs.
In the centre of Ashburton the course takes the road to Buckland in the Moor and rises to Ausewell Cross (SX739721 290m) before dropping to 205 m just before Buckland in the moor (SX721731 230m). At Stone Cross (SX719746 280m) the route turns right onto Pudsham Down (SX731746 360m) when the runners take a sharp left turn down into Widecombe-in-the-Moor (SX718768 240m) at about the 32km point.
Turning left take the road towards Ponsworthy but after about 2km (SX711751 295m) turn right and onto the moor again. The road travels north passed Rowden Cross and Longworthy before the runners turn left (SX697778 315m). This road is followed until the B3212 is reached (SX657797 375m) soon after the Marathon distance.
Turning left the B3212 soon passes Postbridge (SX648789 315m) and eventually reaches the B3357 at Two Bridges (SX608750 340m). The runners then return to Princetown (SX591735 420m) by the B3212.
Past Results
The winners of the races are given below. The first three races were run on a longer course, as was the 2018 Anniversary race.
| Year | First Man | Time | Men | First Woman | Time | Women | Finishers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Brian Davidson | 3:56:36 | 79 | Peggy Wiseman | 5:38:02 | 4 | 83 |
| 1999 | Mike Jacobs | 3:58:52 | 99 | Hilary Walker | 4:48:09 | 10 | 109 |
| 2000 | Shaun Milford | 3:51:55 | 85 | Hilary Walker | 4:53:59 | 11 | 96 |
| 2001 | Cancelled | Cancelled | |||||
| 2002 | Mike Feighan | 3:36:18 | 64 | Carolyn Hunter-Rowe | 4:20:12 | 6 | 70 |
| 2003 | Mike Feighan | 3:44:45 | 76 | Christine Costiff | 4:41:14 | 15 | 91 |
| 2004 | David Stone | 3:51:48 | 76 | Heather Foundling-Hawker | 4:30:00 | 24 | 100 |
| 2005 | Brian Cole | 3:39:21 | 96 | Heather Foundling-Hawker | 4:17:16 | 27 | 123 |
| 2006 | Brian Cole | 3:49:27 | 110 | Heather Foundling-Hawker | 4:05:38 | 44 | 154 |
| 2007 | Brian Cole | 3:44:58 | 126 | Heather Foundling-Hawker | 4:07:50 | 34 | 160 |
| 2008 | Brian Cole | 3:47:51 | 124 | Adela Salt | 4:02:36 | 30 | 154 |
| 2009 | Alan Ryder | 3:43:43 | 89 | Emily Gelder | 4:39:12 | 29 | 118 |
| 2010 | David Stone | 3:50:53 | 101 | Helen Taranowski | 4:18:46 | 29 | 130 |
| 2011 | David Tomlin | 3:57:48 | 118 | Diane Roy | 4:29:50 | 28 | 146 |
| 2012 | John Ward | 3:33:36 | 137 | Isobel Wykes | 4:07:32 | 38 | 175 |
| 2013 | Robin Tuddenham | 3:57:42 | 143 | Isobel Wykes | 4:21:53 | 40 | 183 |
| 2014 | John Ward | 3:29:24 | Lucy Richens | 4:16:04 | 202 | ||
| 2015 | Toby Chapman | 3:51:42 | Helen Anthony | 4:18:29 | 194 | ||
| 2016 | Simon Longthorpe | 3:48:01 | Holly Rush | 4:03:15 | 196 | ||
| 2017 | Adam Holland | 3:44:22 | Lynette Porter | 4:15:28 | 192 | ||
| 2018 | Adam Holland | 3:58:43 | Emily Warren | 4:59:17 | 186 | ||
| 2019 | Kieron Summers | 3:57:02 | Joanne Page | 4:50:40 | 180 | ||
| 2020 | Cancelled | Cancelled | |||||
| 2021 | Kieron Summers | 3:51:31 | Hannah Bown | 4:37:46 | 177 | ||
| 2022 | Ryan Snell | 3:46:27 | Alice Smith | 4:23:41 | 165 |
The current best times are given below (3:45 for men, 4:20 for women)
| Year | Name | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | John Ward | 3:29:24 |
| 2012 | John Ward | 3:33:36 |
| 2002 | Mike Feighan | 3:36:18 |
| 2005 | Brian Cole | 3:39:21 |
| 2005 | Brian Hennessey | 3:41:33 |
| 2009 | Alan Ryder | 3:43:43 |
| 2009 | Mark Croasdale | 3:43:44 |
| 2012 | David Stone | 3:43:59 |
| 2017 | Adam Holland | 3:44:22 |
| 2003 | Mike Feighan | 3:44:45 |
| 2007 | Brian Cole | 3:44:58 |
| Year | Name | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Adela Salt | 4:02:36 |
| 2016 | Holly Rush | 4:03:15 |
| 2006 | Heather Foundling-Hawker | 4:05:38 |
| 2012 | Isobel Wykes | 4:07:32 |
| 2007 | Heather Foundling-Hawker | 4:07:50 |
| 2017 | Lynette Porter | 4:15:28 |
| 2014 | Lucy Richens | 4:16:04 |
| 2016 | Naomi Flanagan | 4:16:04 |
| 2005 | Heather Foundling-Hawker | 4:17:16 |
| 2015 | Helen Anthony | 4:18:29 |
| 2010 | Helen Taranowski | 4:18:46 |
| 2016 | Isobel Wykes | 4:19:38 |